What Teague Knew
by The Black Pearl Sorceress
Summary: Someone from Jack's past recieves a visit from Captain Teague. And he learns a carefully guarded secret.


I got the idea for a fanfiction years ago, but the only thing I ever finished of it was this little one-shot prequal. It's pretty much a Jack/OC, but Jack is not actually in this bit. Also, I should mention it is AU. On Stranger Tides never happened and what's-her-name never existed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain Teague or, much to my immense regret, Captain Jack Sparrow. Legally, they are property of Disney and their creators. (Although, in reality, Captain Jack Sparrow is property of the fangirls. Nothing will ever convince me otherwise.) I own the storyline, Katarina, Alexandra and Jeremiah.

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><p>Captain Teague swayed down the streets of the little town, the trinkets and crosses in his hair jingling softly with the movement. He was somewhat sure that this was where she lived. Well, if any of what he'd heard was true. It was not one of the rougher areas of this port and he rather doubted it was often visited by pirates. Probably why she'd chosen it.<p>

He rather doubted she'd be thrilled to see him, to say the least. That was one of the reasons he was here. That and curiosity.

Katarina Adderline set the basket of clothes down next to the fire. She hated mending, but it needed to be done. Her husband was currently away on business and her daughter was in bed. With any luck, she could finish the bothersome chore without interruption.

Just as she was about to settle into her chair, there was a knock at the door. Kat frowned. Who could possibly be calling so late and why?

Cautiously, she approached the door. Her hand instinctively reached into the hidden pocket of her skirt, wrapping around the small pistol that lay within. Its weight was comforting in her palm. One couldn't be too cautious in the Caribbean. She unlatched the door and pulled it open slowly.

Kat wasn't sure who she had been expecting, but it definitely wasn't the man she found standing before her. Her entire body seemed to freeze, eyes wide and mouth slightly open in shock.

Teague greatly enjoyed her reaction to his presence. It was certainly more gratifying than the ones he'd received at the other two doors he'd knocked on before finding hers. (Though not by much.) It was always amusing to see people's reactions to a pirate.

Teague was not the most patient of men and, after nearly a full minute of her gawking at him, unmoving, he spoke. "You going to let me in, girl, or should I stand in the doorway all night?"

Kat, still unable to speak, managed to close her mouth and step aside, allowing him entrance. He brushed by and she closed the door, taking her time latching it. She _had_ to take her time. Her hands were shaking. What on _earth_ was he _doing_ here? For that matter, how had he even known where to find her? Did he know what had happened all those years ago? If so, how did he feel about it?

Her determination rose to the surface. Captain Teague was not a man to show weakness to. She had always been slightly afraid of him, but she was no longer the naive girl he had known and this was _her_ house. Damned if she'd let him intimidate her in her own home. Squaring her shoulders, she turned to face the pirate. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Captain Teague?"

His lip twitched before he hid the small smirk. The girl always did have a bit of grit in her. That was one of the reasons he'd always liked her. Not that she or his son were aware of that. "Just thought I'd stop by."

Kat raised a brow, trying her best to seem haughty. "Oh? I've not seen or heard from you in over twelve years. Why the sudden interest?"

He gave a careless shrug and took a seat, uninvited, at her table. She frowned at him, but said nothing about it. He was a pirate. Manners were not his greatest strength.

"A man can't be curious about his daughter-in-law?"

Kat stiffened. "I am no longer your daughter-in-law, Captain Teague. I haven't been for nearly a decade now. Surely, you knew that." At least, she _hoped_ he had heard the news. If not, this was likely to be a most unpleasant reunion.

"Aye," he admitted, "I heard. But I doubt the law would agree."

Sighing, Kat moved past him and into the kitchen, returning to the sitting room a few moments later, two glasses and a bottle of amber liquid in her hands. She put the items on the table, poured a generous amount of rum into the glasses and set one of them in front of her unexpected guest before settling herself opposite of him. "What the law does not know won't hurt them," she said flatly before taking a sip of rum. "Or me."

"Aye," he agreed, drinking down half of the glass. "But if they were to find out, you'd find yourself in a bit o' trouble."

Kat fought down a surge of panic. He wouldn't report her would he? She would be arrested, separated from her daughter and Jeremiah. Doing her best to sound nonchalant, she said, "Surely a man who chooses to rob ships and sack towns as his profession would not begrudge me my own decisions, legal or no?"

Her voice might be steady, but Teague could see the fear hidden in her eyes. "There'd be no profit in it for me to turn you in, girl. Ye can be sure of that." She visibly relaxed. "But ye'd best not let anyone else know your little secret. Just as ye'd best not let your... _current_ husband know where his rum has gone to." He drained his glass and poured himself another.

Kat gave him a dry look. "The rum is mine, Captain," she informed him. "An unfortunate habit I picked up from your son. My current husband does not drink."

"Not even ale?"

"Not even wine."

He smirked. If Jack ever knew that Kat had chosen a teetotaler, he'd go into conniptions.

"You never answered my question, Captain. Why are you here?" He merely shrugged again and didn't answer. Kat resigned herself to never knowing just what had prompted her former husband's father to come calling on her. "Fine."

Teague let out a short, gruff laugh. "You always were a clever one. Always knew when to back down."

"I know when something will be a waste of time and breath. Something else I learned courtesy of your son. If you won't tell me why you're here, will you at least tell me how you found me?"

"I have my ways," he said simply. "If a man has ears, he can find someone."

Kat gave him a suspicious look. "Did you inquire about me, Captain Teague?"

"Perhaps."

She rolled her eyes, idly tracing the rim of her glass.

There was a lengthy silence.

"Have you heard from Jack?" she asked finally.

Ah, thought Teague, there it is. He'd been fairly certain she would want to know about him. Not that he had much to tell her. "Last time I seen the boy was near ten years ago."

"Was he well?"

"Aye, seemed so. A bit upset about his wife leaving him, but well enough."

Kat sipped her rum silently, unable to meet his gaze.

"Mum," came a small voice.

Kat's eyes shot to the entrance to the small hallway. There, staring wide-eyed into the room, stood her eight-year-old daughter. Kat's heart stuttered almost violently and she very nearly dropped her glass.

Before Kat could recover, the child wandered into the room, her eyes curious and fixed on Teague.

Teague stared right back at the child, one brow arched slightly.

"Mum, who's he?"

"Darling, it's late. You should be asleep," Kat admonished, standing up. The panic she'd felt earlier was nothing to what she was feeling now.

"Who's he?" she repeated, this time pointing at the strange man.

"Someone I knew a very long time ago. Now, come on. Back to bed." She reached for the child, but the girl dodged her hands and ran over to Teague. Kat watched helplessly.

"Are you a pirate?" asked Alex.

Teague's lips curled upward in amusement. The child was certainly to the point. He gave a curt nod. "Aye."

"Wow!"

"Alex," said Kat sharply. "Come on."

Alex ignored her mother. "Do you have a sword and a ship and everything?" she asked eagerly.

"Aye, lass, I do."

"What's it like being a pirate? Is it exciting?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"Mum says you'll never learn if you don't ask questions."

"Does she, now?"

"How do you know my mum?"

"Alex!" Kat strode over and took her daughter firmly by the shoulders. "Bed, now."

"But, mum!" Alex whined.

"No buts. Bed."

Alex knew that tone all too well. And, like her mother, she knew when a fight wasn't worth the effort. "Fine," she huffed. She allowed herself to be steered back towards her room. Before they disappeared into the hallway, Alex twisted around and waved at the old pirate. "Bye!"

Teague tugged slightly at his beard while he awaited Kat's return, deep in thought. The inquisitive little girl looked just like her mother. But those big brown eyes were not Kat's.

"Ahem. I'm sorry about her," said Kat as she walked back into the room. She moved to the fireplace and tossed in another piece of wood. "It seems I'm being paid in full for being such a nuisance when I was her age." Her hands began nervously smoothing her skirt.

"Does Jackie know he has a daughter?" he asked bluntly.

Kat froze, her back to him. He had noticed. She'd hoped he wouldn't, but he had. Hastily, she considered her options, of which there were very few.

Finally, she turned to face him. There was no point in denying the truth. Captain Teague was no fool and it was best not to treat him as one. "No."

He nodded, having suspected as much.

"And I'll thank you not to tell him, Captain."

He let out a small snort. As if he saw his son often enough to tell him _anything_. "So, that'll be my granddaughter?" he asked, nodding towards the hall.

"Yes."

"And her name?"

"Alexandria Pearl Adderline."

Ah. So he had been right. Kat _was_ still in love with his son. At least, she must have been when the girl was born. Why else would she have chosen the name Pearl if not for Jack?

"How did you know?" she asked.

"Her eyes."

"Well, you're one of only two men to notice they aren't mine." Mother and child both had brown eyes, but Kat's were just a shade or two lighter. Alex's were the dark, rich color of chocolate. Jack's eyes.

"Did ye know before you left the boy?"

"No. I found out later. And before you ask, yes, my husband is well aware that Alex is not his."

"Uh-hu," he mumbled, a thoughtful look on his face. "I'll not be the one to tell him, but ye'd best hope Jackie doesn't find out you let another man claim his child."

"I doubt I'll ever see Jack again, so there's not much worry of that. Besides, I doubt it would matter much to him. For all I know, Alex is only one of a legion he's sired." Her voice grew distinctly bitter. "Do you think I didn't know about the whores? Or the women he seduced and had waiting in every port? Do you think I have no idea where half of those silly trinkets in his hair came from? Or those blasted rings? He flouted those little trophies from his conquests as if I should be _pleased_ that my husband was in such high demand. I would not have such a man around my daughter."

He frowned slightly at the comment about keeping trinkets in one's hair, but decided to let it go. "Ye knew what Jack was when ye married him."

"A pirate," she said flatly. "Yes, I knew. I managed to fool myself into believing that it could work between us, despite that. That was my mistake."

"You loved him. No question o' that. I believe he loved you as well."

Suddenly exhausted, Kat turned from Teague with a sigh. "Love was never the problem," she said softly.

"Aye. Ye had plenty o' that and to spare. Any fool could see that."

Kat was taken aback by Teague's apparent sympathy. He'd never struck her as a gentle person. He'd always been so gruff and never spoke much, at least in her experience. "That wasn't enough, was it?"

"Hardly ever is, as far as I know. My Maggie and me, we had our share of problems, but we were lucky."

"Were?" she questioned, turning back to him.

"Aye." He reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it, holding it up for her to see. It took Kat several moments to register exactly what she was seeing; a shrunken head. She blanched, feeling queasy.

"Had an unfortunate run in with cannibals."

"When?" Kat was able to croak out, still in shock.

"Eighteen months."

She managed to close her mouth, still not feeling entirely well. She and her mother-in-law hadn't been particularly close, but Kat had liked Maggie well enough. Also, she couldn't decide if the fact that Teague carried the head of his dead... well, not-quite-wife with him was oddly romantic and morbidly sweet or just plain disgusting and disturbing. "I'm sorry," she said finally. "She was a good woman and an even better pirate."

"Aye, that she was," he agreed, carefully tucking what was left of his beloved back into his pocket. "And before ye ask, no, Jackie doesn't know."

"I had assumed that, since you said you haven't seen him in almost ten years."

"Well, I came to see if all was right with you, and I suppose I have my answer," he said, going back from somber to casual in an instant. He poured himself another measure of rum and quickly drank it down, slamming the glass on the table once he'd finished. "Best be off."

Somewhat bewildered by the abrupt change, Kat remained silent as he stood. Her eyes followed the pirate's movement as he came to stand in front of her. "You'd best show more caution when ye answer the door," he informed her. "Never know who might be on the other side, eh?"

Kat gave him a cynical look as she reached into her pocket and removed the pistol, holding it out for him to see. His look of approval did little to brighten her mood, especially when he asked, "You still a good shot, or has being landlocked softened ye?"

She glared at him. "I assure you, Captain Teague, I could still shoot a fly from between its wings if the occasion called for it," she informed him crisply.

"I always liked you, Katarina," he said suddenly, surprising them both. "Was easy to see why Jackie loved ye so much. Though why you loved him back, I'll never see."

There was a lengthy silence.

"He hates to be called that," she said quietly.

Teague smirked. "I know." He started for the door. Just before his fingers could make contact with the latch, Kat called out to him.

"Captain," she said hesitantly. "If- if you wish to visit us on occasion, I would not be opposed to it."

His only response was a single nod. "Take care of yourself, Kat. And my granddaughter." Then he was gone.

After he left, Kat walked to the door. She took her time locking up. When she finished, she sat down at the table once more, attempting to process all that had occurred tonight.

A quarter of an hour. The man hadn't been here more than a quarter of an hour and he'd turned her world as she knew it upside down. Perhaps that was a family trait.

He had called her Kat. In all the time she had known the man, Teague had never called her by her given name, let alone the pet name all of her friends and family used when addressing her, simply referring to her as "girl." And he had certainly never given any indication that he actually liked her. In fact, he had always given the impression that he didn't think her even remotely right for his son. Up till now, she had assumed he believed her and the rest of her peerage to be snobs and, therefore, not good enough for his son. Tonight, he had implied that the opposite was true; that _she_ had been too good for Jack.

He wouldn't be the first to think so. Her parents had certainly thought she could find a better match. Not that they hadn't been fond of Jack, but he wasn't exactly the son-in-law they had dreamed of. Kat was well aware that they would never have agreed to the marriage if she and Jack hadn't been friends since childhood. She suspected that they still wouldn't have approved if they hadn't known his reasons for trading in his career with the East India Trading Company for a life of piracy. Besides, Kat had made it abundantly clear that their only choices were accept Jack Sparrow as the man she loved and intended to marry or lose their only child forever.

At least her parents had learned of the nuptials before they occurred. Jack hadn't told his family until after the wedding had taken place. Needless to say, they hadn't been pleased, either with not having been invited to the happy occasion or his choice of bride. Several had bemoaned the fact that he had not chosen a richer wife. A few had the nerve to say he could have chosen a prettier woman. Jack's nearly ninety year old grandmother (the old bat, she thought crossly) had said both. But by far the most popular opinion was that they were a family of pirates and Kat, while not exactly a member of the aristocracy, "will never really be one of us. You'd have been better off marrying someone of our own kind, Jackie."

Teague and Maggie alone had kept their opinions to themselves. Maggie was the only one who had quietly accepted that Jack had made his choice and nothing could change it now. She may not have welcomed Kat with open arms, but had given her the respect she was due. Teague, who was the only member of Jack's family that she had officially met before they announced their marriage, had, as usual, barely acknowledged that she even existed. The closest he'd come to welcoming her was to tell the rest of the family to, "Shut up or shove off. Jackie married the girl and it's hardly any of your concern now, is it? It's already done." Not exactly a defense, but a rescue of sorts that Kat had been very grateful for.

Loathe as she was to admit it, it had been good to see the man again. And to unburden her most guarded secret to someone other than Jeremiah.

Still, the memories that Teague's presence had dredged up were painful ones.

Warm tears coursed down Kat's cheeks as she thought of her husband, her _real_ husband, the man who she was still legally married to. The man she missed more than she'd ever thought possible, even after all these years.

No, love had never been a problem between Katarina and Jack Sparrow. It was trust and respect that had been sadly lacking. More specifically, Jack's lack of respect for her had caused Kat to lose her trust in him.

Her thoughts turned resentfully towards The Black Pearl. A ship. Jack had traded his soul for a ship. And if that wasn't bad enough, he hadn't told her about it until she had realized on her own that the Pearl was the very same ship that had sunk to the depths years ago and confronted him. Even then, he had tried to lie to her about it.

For four years, Kat had put up with Jack's countless infidelities and the fear that he would set sail one day and never return. She'd dealt with the long absences and the knowledge that her husband was wanted by the law. She had even tried to run her father's shipping business alone when she could really have used Jack's help. What did he do in return? He traded himself away to Davy Jones for a bloody ship without so much as a thought to what it would do to her if she lost him.

It had been the final straw. Her own angry words still rang clear in her memory. "Very well. If it's freedom you want, Jack, you're more than welcome to it. But I _will not_ just stand by and watch as you fall. And you _will_ fall, Jack. Whether by the Navy, the sea or Davy Jones himself, I don't know, but it will happen. All I know for certain is I won't be there to see it."

The look in his eyes still haunted her. In all the years she had known him, it was the only time she recalled seeing Jack Sparrow cry. It had only been a few tears, but tears nonetheless. Leaving Jack had been the hardest thing Kat had ever had to do, but she had done it. And she'd taken the child she hadn't known she was carrying with her.

Thirteen years. That had been Jack's bargain with Jones. Ten had already passed. If he still lived, Jack's end would come soon enough.

Kat straightened her back, wiping impatiently at the wetness on her cheeks with the back of her hand. There was no sense dwelling on the past and even less sense crying over it. What's done is done, as they say. Jack had made his choice long ago, and he had chosen the sea and The Black Pearl over the woman who would have done anything for him. And Kat had made her choice when she left him, and again when she married Jeremiah Adderline so that her unborn child would have a father. Now they would both have to live with the decisions they had made and all of the consequences.

She eyed the basket of clothes near the fire. After having a piece of her past make an unexpected visit, she was certainly not in the mood to do the mending. Or any chore, for that matter.

Kat picked up a candle and walked to the darkened hall. Just several more steps took her to the door of her daughter's room. As quietly as she could, she slipped inside. In the dim light, she could make out only the soft mop of dark hair at the top of the bed.

Carefully, she set the candle on the small table beside her daughter's bed and settled herself in the chair next to it.

Alex's body was turned towards Kat. This close, she could make out her daughter's features more easily. It was all she could do not to burst into tears again. It was true that Alex looked a great deal like her, but at times Kat could see so much of Jack in her that it was almost scary. Especially any similarity in personalities. The last thing Kat wanted was for her child to turn out too much like her father. Or herself, for that matter. She could only hope that Alex would grow to be smarter than she had been. At the very least, she hoped that Alex would be smart enough to know that a leopard could never change its spots and a pirate would always be a pirate. And pirates were never to be trusted. Especially in matters of the heart.

The child opened her eyes and brown eyes met darker ones. "Mum?" asked Alex, voice heavy with sleep.

"Yes?"

"Who was that man at the table?"

Your grandfather. The answer came so easily to her mind, even now. "Just someone from my past, darling. I knew him long before you were born."

"Is he your friend?"

Kat hesitated. "Yes, darling, I suppose he is."

"Will he come back?"

"I can't say, Alex. Captain Teague does as he pleases. He likes to go wherever the wind may take him. Perhaps, one day, it will bring him back to us."

"I like him." The little girl's eyes began to droop. "I hope he comes back."

Kat watched her daughter's breathing become deep and even. In less than two minutes, Alex was asleep. "So do I, Alex," Kat whispered so softly she could barely hear her own voice. "So do I."

She was acutely aware that it wasn't only Teague that she wanted to come back. And she was equally aware that the other was even less likely than Teague to reappear in her life.

It was then that Kat made another choice.

Jack Sparrow had been her first and greatest love. She would always be connected to him because of that. Their child, whether he knew about her or not, made the connection even stronger and more permanent. For ten years now, she had clung to the hope that he would come back for her. She might not have admitted it, even to herself, but it was the truth.

But Jack Sparrow was no longer in her life and likely never would be again. It was time to put the past firmly behind her, where it belonged. As Teague had said, she needed to take care of herself and her daughter. She couldn't completely do that until she fully accepted that that part of her life was over. And that Jack had not been the only one at fault for their failed relationship.

Careful not to make too much noise, she stood and crept to the door. She glanced over her shoulder for one last look at her child before leaving the room.

Kat felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. From now on, she decided, she would not carry around her bitterness for the past. Loving Jack Sparrow might have been a mistake, but it was a mistake she could never undo. She'd made her bed when she married a pirate. Lying in it had been more than she'd bargained for. But she wasn't lying in that bed any longer. It was time to stop behaving as if she were.

Besides, she'd gladly do it all again. For if she hadn't made the mistake of loving and marrying Jack, she wouldn't have Alex.

No, she could never regret loving Jack Sparrow. In the short time they'd had together, before the other women, the fear and the Black Pearl, she'd been happier than she had ever been before or since.

Maybe, in time, she could be that happy again. Only time would tell.

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><p>Please, let me know what you think.<p> 


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